Initial Ideas

After having a group discussion about the music video we are going to make we have come up with a number of ideas some may need to be re-thought but we feel that some are genuinely good ideas that can be executed easily;

• Before the track begins an audio extract from the movie 'Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels' is played to establish the theme of the song. The extract would be of the opening credits when the character is using his wit and banter to sell stolen goods to the crowd.
  
• The Video will be predominantly performance based as is conventional for indie/rock bands.
  
• We will use shots of the lead singer walking down a road in an urban setting whilst singing, but we will use a technique from a 'Kooks' video that i have analysed, where the camera is attached to the lead singing giving a close-up shot that moves with the singer.
  
• This will then cut to shots of the band either in a studio performing, or in another urban setting 'joking around' or 'messing about'.
  
• We aim to shoot footage of the band having fun together reinforcing their status as friends, this will appeal to the audience and will the give the video some comedy value as well. We will have the band in many different settings so that we can have fast paced editing with exciting dynamic shots that give the video repeatability. This idea was taken from an old Beatles music video where they are seen to be having fun in a random field.
  
• To relate the visuals to the lyrics we are going to have a shot in which a band member's old guitar is in his arms and then vanishes to be replaced with a newer better guitar alongside the line; "And a new guitar", only for it then to return to his old one in time with the lyrics; "and it never will".
  
• There will be a shot of the band running down a metal spiral staircase or equivalent fire escape whilst the camera (handy-cam) follows them from above. They will then reach the bottom of the stairs that will open into their studio/performance setting.
  
• To direct attention onto the lead singer and for creative effect we have also planned to have the lead singer walking at an apparent normal pace whilst singing with other people around him walking in fast motion.
  
• Key images/locations that will be seen in the video to create the atmosphere/mood/theme of the song that we want are; alleyway, weathered brick wall, field, spiral staircase/ black metal fire escape, urban landscape.
  
• The band will be dressed in similar clothing, and they will often be shown with their instruments giving the video authenticity.
  
  The View Superstar Tradesman Lyrics:
  
  Superstar Tradesman,
  Stand at the bar,
  Get a trade son,
  You will go far.
  
  You’ll have a house in the Ferry,
  And a new guitar,
  That’s never been played before,
  And it never will,
  Its never been played before,
  And it never will.
  
  The weather is sunny,
  You’re locked inside,
  The weather is sunny oh yes,
  I’ve tried and I’ve tried,
  To keep me sane,
  to keep me sane,
  To keep me sane,
  to keep me sane.
  
  I don’t want money,
  I want happiness,
  I don’t want cash and no,
  I quite like memories,
  To keep us on track,
  Will never look back,
  Keep us on track,
  Lets never look back.
  
  Ha, what would you do,
  If I asked you,
  What would you do,
  If I asked you,
  To sail away,
  To see some sights,
  Sail away with me,
  To see some sights,
  Sail away,
  To see some sights.
  
  Superstar Tradesman,
  Stand at the bar,
  Get a trade son,
  You will go far.
  
  You’ll have a house in the Ferry,
  And a new guitar,
  That’s never been played before,
  And it never will,
  Its never been played before And it never will.

Group Roles

We have all decided to split the group roles as follows;

• Pete- Director
• Jo- Producer
• Elliot- Editor

However these are not entirely fixed roles as we will all have a go at every technique and help eachother with ideas and spread the workload equally.

Technical analysis

hard-fi cash machine

• This video begins in an unconventional manner with no music. the video starts with dialogue and in the style of a gangster film. The very ending of the video is credits, just as if it were a film
• low angle shots are used on the "gangster" charecter which quickly defines him as an intimidating charecter.
• the opening scene is the only one where a high angle shot is used on the band members. this is done to help define the charecter of the gangster as menacing.
• as the pace of the music increases so does the pace of the cuts and a lot of the cuts seem to be in time with the beat of the music.
• there is a high percentage of performance shots which focus on the lead singer. these are all low angle shots and there are many close up shots of the lead singer. the low angle shots also allow the location to be clear as planes can be seen passing above their heads and they are meant to be at heathrow airport.
• almost all of these performance shots involve the camera moving, for example panning around the band. the lead singer is also moving a lot during his performance.
• the performance shots are also the longest in the video. the longest shot begins with a close up of the lead singer which zooms our to show someone holding a gun to his head. however the gun is made to be "fuzzy" and the way the singer looks at the gun adds another comedy element to the video. immediately after this there are about 4 quick cuts between the scene and the band performing within a couple of seconds. these are all done to the beat of the drums in the music.
• a low angle shot is also used when the band are running down a corridor. this seems to be either a dolly or a tracking shot.
• there is a point of view shot through binoculars used and a number of shots which appear to be from CCTV footage.
• there are shots used where the camera is angled and the band members are running away down a corridor and the camera is static. this adds variation to the type of shot used throughout the video.
• as is similar with many videos for rock bands, the members are presented as being close friends and seem to be having fun. this is done by the strong comedy element with the masks, the "comedy voice" used by the courier charecter, the band members getting into a fight in corridor whilst wearing spitting image masks, the splurge guns and the ending of the narrative and the line from one of the band members "ahh nickers"

Technical Analysis

Klaxons - Golden Skans

Indie / Rock Genre
Overall there were 51 shots which in comparison with some other videos is not such a huge number
The first shot was of the night sky with five sentences flashing up in front of it, it lasts for a huge 38 seconds, making it the longest shot of the whole video by a long way. The shot finishes with an explosion and when the fire clears the band members are seen for the first time standing half naked in pouring rain.
There are then numerous slow motion shots of the band members splashing the water and interspersed with these are shots of the lead singer head singing, there is no foreground movement in these performance shots but the backgrounds show another band member breaking a glass egg
This then cuts to shots of the band members being wrapped in ribbons by invisible forces, each member has his own colour ribbon
The chorus of the song then kicks in and the ribbon covered band members are shown floating around the screen throwing glitter into the air
The next surreal happening comes with the introduction of several floating shapes which the band members throw around
This then cuts to a number of shots showing all three band members smashing a cylinder of light with a pole in a way which makes the band members look like cavemen, the glass lights shatter and this is shown in slow motion from various directions.
After the destruction of the lights is complete the camera pulls out from the band and the background changes colour from black to white. The three band members drop to their knees facing away from the camera and the video fades out.

Textual Analysis

Razorlight - In The Morning

Indie Genre
Performance / Conceptual based
The band are shown performing to what appears to be an empty hall but as numerous sheets are lifted an audience begins to appear.
The audience members are frozen in various poses i.e. two people sitting on a bench kissing and as the song progresses they become animated again.
Lead singer Johnny Borrell is the main focus of much of the video with many close ups of him as is seen in most music videos
Borrell's outfit is an inter textual reference to an outfit worn by Mick Jagger of The Rolling Stones which reinforces the band's rock status
The dancers and the other band members are wearing classic indie outfits, with skinny jeans and tight tee-shirts
The dancers at the end of the video are moving like zombies - this sort of convention subversion is classic of the Indie genre as one of the key aspects of the genre is the lack of conformity
The Authenticity of the band is reinforced through the shots of the band members playing their own instruments.
Johnny Borrell's star image is clearly used to sell the song as the majority of the shots in the video are of him

Technical analysis

The View- 'Same Jeans'

• In total I recorded 180 different shots in the music video.
• The majority of these were during the performance part of the video, when the music was at its fastest pace, here the video was representing the music through the use of cut to go with the beat or rhythm. Some of the shots were so quick that they may have been missed on a first viewing giving it repeatability.
• The longest shots were during the narrative scenes.
• The longest shot was about 18 seconds long and came at the end of the video when the music was fading out, there were many shots of about 0.3 of a second long with three shots being seen in one second, these were during the performance when the music was at a fast pace in the height of the chorus.
• There were 48 close-ups of the lead singer, over 25% of the whole video. However as 'The View' are an indie band the singer did not tend to look directly at the camera, or even acknowledge that it was there at all, many of the shots depicted him with his long hair covering some or all of his face, this is a typical convention of indie rock bands who are more concerned with the music than the fame/star image.
• There were 20 close-ups of the other members in the band, meaning a total of 68 close-ups of all the band members, over 30%. Again however none of the close-ups showed the band members as looking directly at the camera, many of the shots had them moving in or out of the shot, often 'head banging' suggesting that they have good stage presence and are fully engaged with the music and nothing else.
• There were also a number of close-ups of the instruments the band were playing during the performance, adding authenticity to the performance by showing the artists' skills.
• The movement of the camera was at its fastest during the performance part of the video when it was the chorus, a handi-cam was used here to give the impression that the audience are in the crowd watching the band live.
• Any movement during the narrative was shot using a stedi-cam.
• Angles were used to best effect during the performance, the lead often depicted using a low angle, and the crowd often viewed from a high angle, clearly differentiating between the status of the crowd and the band.
• Lighting was also used to contrast between the narrative and performance sections of the video, generally the narrative was shot in daylight, the exception being in the party, whereas the 'gig' was very dimly lit with the crowd in darkness and the band in light, although a red tint was used for this, creating authenticity for the performance.
• Some post-production effects were also evident, the foremost being slow motion, predominantly used when the crowd were in shot during the performance, others were when the lead singer opened the door of the flat or the elevator onto the 'underground gig'.
• Jump cuts were used for a 14 second period when a handi-cam was used that followed the lead singer from the front as he was walking through a party (another convention of music videos), the use of jump-cutting, dutch angles and the perfromance from the lead singer, his non-verbal language and facial expressions gave a clear impression of drunkeness. The jump-cuts showed him staggering jerkily through the room with random object such as a telephone appearing in his arms, and then a large red kiss mark appearing on his face (possibly aggrandizing the lead singer by portraying him as popular).
• There were links between the lyrics and the visuals particularly when the chorus starts, here the singer says "So!" as a lead in for the chorus, every time this was said there was a cut in time with the lyrics to a picture of the band on stage in the performance. Other links were seen at the beginning of the video when the lead singers gets out of bed and says, "I've got the same jeans on" here there is a deliberate cut to his jeans as he is getting out of bed illustrating the meaning of the lyrics, and providing a literal image.

My technical analysis has taught me a great deal about the more technical side of making a music video and has introduced me to some techniques that i intend to use when making my own video. Some of the key techniques that i may use in the making of the video are listed below;

• Fast-paced cutting and lots of movement during performnace shots.
• Longer shots during narrative or conceptual parts.
• Close-ups of the lead singer (however the singer should not look directly at the camera or seem as if he is interested in anything but the music, also he should show lots of emotion linked to the song at all times).
• Low angle shots of the band.
• High angle shots of the crowd.
• Handi-cam shots of the leadsinger from the front as he is walking (camera probably attached to the singer so that as he moves the camera moves with him).
• Slow motion effects on people dancing/performing.
• Jump-cuts and duth angles to portray someone as drunk or unstable.

textual analysis

natasha bedingfield - soulmate

• a lot of close ups of natasha bedingfield
• doesnt seem to be as sexualised as in most other music videos involving women. she isnt dancing or wearing revealing clothes.
• other shot seem to tell a story eg, close up of a couple kissing, shots of signs saying "hope" and "partners", many shots out of focus, a lot of shots of hearts, silhouettes of a group of people, torchlight on the word "sex". stands up to repeated viewings
• a lot of camera movement.
• defragmentation - close up shots of her lips and hands.
• relationship between music and visuals, as the pace of the music increases so does the pace of the cuts.
• relationship between lyrics and visuals, contradictory: "somebody tell me why i'm on my own" - large group of people behind her but out of focus.

Textual Analysis

Music Video- The Kooks - "Sofa Song"

• Genre-Indie rock band
• Performance based
• This video is rather simple in its construction and probably wasnt made on a large budget, however it is effective in providing a clear positive advert for the band as many of the conventions of the genre are met and it presents the band in a positive way.
• There were many close-up shots of the lead singer aswell as the other members of the band, meeting the needs of the record label and developing their star image.
• However despite the regular close-ups this is an indie band so there is a clear sense that their image is not overly important, rather its is the music that drives them.
• The whole video is a visually decentred experience with fast paced images some of which are barely discernable and due to the excessive voyeurism in the video (the band are performing in a room of mirrors) it is easy for the audience to miss many images during the first viewing, giving the video repeatability.
• The band are all wearing similar style clothes and have similar hairstyles developing their image of a close group and also cementing their colective style.
• The lighting in the room is fairly darkly lit with the band members in the main spotlights.
• The video serves to amplify the meaning of the lyrics.
• There is also a clear link between the beat/rhythm of the song and the editing, as this is a performnce video there is fast-paced editing that increases dramatically in pace as the song itself increases in pace, most noticably during the chorus.
• There is great deal of camera movement used in the video aswell as a handi-cam.
• All of the band-members are shown to have stage-prescence and their performance is given authenticity through the close-ups of their instruments, especially their guitars.

Textual Analysis

Music Video - 'Red Hot Chilli Peppers'- "Can't Stop" (Directed by Mark Romanek)

• Rock Genre
• Performance and Conceptual based
• The music video serves to promote the song through amplification.
• Opening sequence, camera travels through yellow tunnel (digitally produced) using a p.o.v. shot to take the audience to the lead singer at the end of the tunnel.
• Uses performance shots, typical convention for rock bands, provides authenticity. Lip Sync.
• Band members portrayed as very close, good friends, promoting their image of being 'fun', they joke around with each other , very appealing towards the audience. (ironic humour often seen) helps the band seem more 'human' and likable, the audience will want to be friends with them, it looks like the band are just having fun and there is also a lot of comedy in the video coming from the artists.
• Attempts to reinforce their rock status- Band members in conventional poses with guitars, typical rock motifs; hand symbols/gestures, facial expressions and stereotypical rock style non-verbal language of attitude displayed.
• Lots of close-ups of the main singer, the voice is one of the most important aspects, he is also very charismatic and long shots of band together and of individual members of the band, they are what sells the music- star image.
• The video promotes the bands live performances showing them all as having stage presence, they are often seen jumping around topless and playing with attitude.
• Reflections in the mirrors of main singer, singing to himself convention of music videos- voyeurism.
• The fast- cutting and montage editing fits the beat/rhythm of track creating a visually decentred experience, this is necessary for the consumption of the music video as many of the images are moving so fast that it is extremely hard to understand them on first viewing therefore the video will need to be watched again, giving it repeatability.
• The authenticity of the band is also reinforced through the close-ups of the instruments that the band members are playing, emphasising their skill.
• There are Lots of bright colours used in the video especially in the random objects representing the colourful and playful nature of the band, also they perform in front of an orange background.
• The use of the random and eccentric objects and activities of the band members fits with the lyrics- "This life is more than ordinary".
• We are able to understand the significance and context of the strange objects and activities we have just witnessed at the end when it says, 'Inspired by the 'One-minute sculptures' of Erwin Wurm.
  
  

Chosen Song

The song that we have finally decided do make a video for is 'Superstar Tradesman' by 'The View'
We have chosen this song as it fits into our required genre - Indie, and it is an upbeat song which all three of us believe will make our video easier to produce.

Possible songs?

Here is a list of some of the songs that i feel we could use, have a listen to them on youtube;

• Vandals - We Are (Performance)
• Mango Tree - Angus & Julia Stone
• Stay Positive - the Streets
• Little Fluffy Clouds - The Orb (very strange! so could do something interesting conceptually)
• Alright - Supergrass
• The Night I Lost My Head - Maximo Park
• Superstar Tradesman - The View
• Don't Tell Me - The View

Textual Analysis

The Kooks - She Moves In Her Own Way

Conceptual / Performance based
Shows band in what appears to be a small Spanish town which looks run down, gives the video authenticity.
Urban location - convention of indie music videos - understated.
Handicam used for many shots and this combined with the grainy appearance of other shots gives the video a home-made feel, helping to make the band appear more authentic.
Despite the home-made feel, shots of the lead singer are still shown frequently - convention of all music videos.
Band often shown together in various locations to make them appear like a group of friends i.e. sitting around a swimming pool.
Lead singer wearing classic indie clothes - skinny jeans, tight white tee shirt etc to clearly indicate their musical genre
No link between lyrics and events taking place
Only women shown are drunken girls at a party but are not represented too negatively as lead singer is in exactly the same position.

Textual Analysis

1. Jay Z - 99 problems.
   
   

• quick cuts - allows repeatability as there seems to be a narrative but shot are tooo quick to understand it fully.
• objectifies women - convention in rap music videos. provocative dancing, costume
• camera seems to be moving most of the time. eg, panning steadi-cam and handi-cam.
• low angle shots on Jay Z. makes him appear powerful
• he is performing directly to the audience.
• shows authority negatively. the police are racist.
• meta-narrative - seems to represent his roots, urban setting, dog fighting, gangs, prison shots.
• all in black and white - seems more gritty
• video amplifies the meaning of the lyrics.

Why are they commercially viable with such small audience shares?
Despite having such small audience shares, music channels such as ‘Kerrang’ or ‘MTV’ are commercially viable as they are owned by large media conglomerates such as Viacom or EMAP, which are able to produce these shows as they have many different revenue streams and often own a number of different music channels appealing to different audiences depending on their music genre. This means that they are able to target and reach a niche audience with the music channels. The music channels are also able to generate profit through advertising and marketing campaigns with other companies. An example is EMAP’s advertising campaign with Creative Zen; this was a huge success and generated massive profits for both companies. EMAP pitched an idea to Creative proposing a media first, break-through idea: EPG (Electronic Programming Guide) strategic. This enabled Creative to control 22 music channels at the most relevant times of the day for their audience, giving Zen 13 consecutive channels on the EPG and the ability to design their adverts to appeal to the people watching the specific music genre channels. The campaign was extremely successful with Zen reaching 76% of their core target audience of 16-34 adults and receiving over 46,991 entries for their promotion, their product sold out nationwide within weeks.

How do audiences consume music channels?
The way that audiences consume music channels is very different to other types of television as there is a new view of content over channel loyalty. The way in which audiences consume music channels can be divided into two sections, ambient and focused consumption. Ambient consumption is otherwise known as passive and is a type of viewing where the audience is less engaged and is often takes place as music in the background, for chilling out, when getting ready to go out and in communal situations. Focused consumption is otherwise known as active and is a type of viewing where the audience consumes and engages with what they are watching, this is often associated with solo consumption and is largely attributed to; recent videos, favourite artist, music they don’t buy, old videos, concerts, scheduled events, to check talent, to check fashions or for the presenters. Also one key reason attributed to why youth watch music channels is the variety of choice available to them, they are able to watch a channel showing only the specific type of music that they enjoy such as ‘rock’ or ‘pop’ etc. or they are able to flick between the channels until they find a music video that they like, there are no restrictions and endless choice.

Consumption patterns

Ambient - channel is often left on in the background whilst the viewer is doing other things. Often unaware of what song is actually playing.

Focused - audience has most of their attention on the channel and will otfen change a song if they don't like it.

institutional context - how are genre channels commercially viable?

as genre channels are normallly owned by a large companies (for example EMAP, Viacom International and GCap Media) they have multiple revenue streams, and therefore do not have to rely on one channel for profit. Many will own not only a television channel but a radio sation and/or magazine, possibly all of the same name and about the same genre.
another way in which genre channels are commercially viable is that they are very attractive to advertisers, for example Creative Zen. this is because the channel is targeted at a specific audience so the advertising can also be aimed directly at this audience. As many of the channels are owned by the same companies, advertisers will have a wider range of channels, and therefore audiences to attempt to sell their product to.